Trust Ministries Prayerline Summary
Leader: Anais Belgrave
Topic: Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.”
Text: 130:7 KJV
When we break down this particular verse, phrase by phrase, it gives us insight on the kind of hope we should have. The first clause “let Israel hope in the Lord” is talking to Israel, which is the Lord’s people. It deals with their experience, how they wrestled with God in prayer and also, how they prevail. Our God is the God of hope and we should put all of our hope in Him. Just like Israel, we should find hope in every situation - we can find hope in strength when we’re weak, direction when we’re lost, light in the midst of darkness, provision during times of lack and even triumph over death! The hymn tells us that “our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, but wholly lean on Jesus’ name”. The chorus goes on to say “on Christ the solid rock i stand all other ground is sinking sand”. Today, we cant afford to put our hope in the government, man or money. This is what we’d consider sinking sand. One minute the economy is up, then it’s down. One day folk love you, tomorrow they hate you. Our hope in Christ is what separates us from the rest of the world.
It’s usually during this time of the year where the suicide rate is at an all-time high. People are stressing about bills, not having enough money to buy gifts or where they’re going to lay their head. But, when you have a hope in God, you can say “Lord, I may not know where my next meal or paycheck is coming from, but I’m placing all of my trust and hope in You because you’re a God that provides.”
In spite of what things may look like, we have a comfort in God. Even in the midst of our sin, we can proclaim that hope is ours. His mercy does what man won’t: it receives the sinner, restores the backslider, and keeps the believer. It’s the mercy of God that blesses our prayers far beyond expectations. This is why it’s important not to think like the world does. When we, as the believer, think about the mercy of God, we understand that it’s not because of any good we’ve done. With the world, in order to receive, you HAVE to give something! But with God, His mercy supersedes any good we could ever do. This is why we can walk into an interview with no prior experience, expecting a cashier position and walk out being offered a supervisor position. That’s the mercy of God. He takes delight in fulfilling our hopes and dreams, beyond our hopes and dreams. But not only does it satisfy us as the receiver, but it exalts Him as the giver! When God does the inexplainable, it awakens the curiosity of others in either wanting to know who God is or saying, no one else could do that BUT God!
